Sharing techniques

mario - i can see that in your experience you had people to share
techniques i am happy to learn this. now i have another question for
you, is all this and technique coming to you free of
charge? did you have to pay to go to school? and if you are a guild
member do you pay dues to the guild to remain a member? -

best regards goo

I am curious as to those who sell ideas and techniques at workshops
and then turn around and complain (on this forum) that some one is
stealing thier ideas when those who have paid for the ideas start
thier own weekend technical workshops. 

Hmmmm

Sharing techniques and ideas is rather different than sharing
designs. Ideas and the resultant design is a totally different
“kettle of fish” my dear in my opinion.

Personally I’ve found that people copying designs never get them
quite the same anyway. Those with a discerning eye will be able to
tell the difference.

Thieves always get caught in the end… even if it is only by their
own conscience.

I have a cute little embroidery “sketch” done by the partner of a
dear nephew of mine… it’s called “Don’t copy”.

Cheers, Renate

Regarding complaints about stealing ideas etc...it's one thing to
learn a technique, it's another thing to take a design or idea and
pass it off as your own, giving no credit where credit is due. 

Could not agree more! I encourage folks to copy until they feel
proficient, but for their own consumption. Then they should take the
technique learned, and turn it into their own work. This is what I
do when I take workshops - get proficient in the new skill/technique,
then go in my own direction.

Sometimes I do this within a workshop, and have had it freak out the
teacher, if they aren’t used to folks taking off that fast !

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

http://www.bethwicker.etsy.com
http://bethwicker.ganoksin.com/blogs/

Dear Jackielucky you! I wonder if James would like a little holiday
in California!?

Daylight is really to be desired in a studio for a number of
reasonscolors are true for one. It is also good to stretch ones eyes,
and to observe the world outside, see the day wax and wane. It can be
disorienting not to know that it is now full night, if you’ve been
closed up all day. If you can’t have a window (and maybe one can be
put in?) try even an inexpensive poster of an outdoor scene that you
find pleasanta little daydream, multi-focused moment for your eyes
and mind throughout the work day. Good luck with your work. Never
having had a mentor, I can hardly imagine what that must be like.

Regards, Marianne

Hello goo!

now i have another question for you, is all this and
technique coming to you free of charge? did you have to pay to go
to school? 

In Germany you have different options become a goldsmith. At
industry, at school and at crafts enterprise.

Let me illustrate the process of the apprenticeship at the
handicraft enterprise:

After graduating (after school) you try to find a apprenticeship
training position at a goldsmith. If you get one, both - you and the
goldsmith sign the articles of traineeship (it include hours of
work, recesses, leave days, apprenticeship pay and so on). This
contract goes to the chamber of handicrafts. People there induce a
so-called skilled trade register. After the contract is referenced,
you are a formal goldsmith-apprentice. All this is necessary because
of compulsory sickness insurance, personal liability insurance and
more of these lawful things.

Ok - start work :wink:

From Monday to Friday you get your instruction. There is a lawful
training master plan (for each craft) on which the training
supervisor is tied to. This instance ought to ensure all
apprenticeships are equal in every region of the land. While you
learn this trade in the shop practical you also need the theory. For
this part you go to the vocationally oriented professional school. In
some regions on day of the week, in others you’ll spend 6-8 weeks in
school half-yearly, going back to work afterwards.

Now - what do you have to pay for? You pay for four or five
reference books. If you don’t have the money, you can try to get some
used or you use books from the library - there are always
possibilities. Furthermore you have to pay some meal allowance, if
you are in that region with 6-8 weeks of school. Remember - you get
some money monthly! If it is not enough for life, you can apply
education allowance. Then the German State pays your bills (if
necessary even the rend)! Thats why i told you, education is free.

Make it short, after three and a half jear and a interim audit you
do the journeyman’s examination. If you pass it, you are a goldsmith.
If not you do it again after six month. If you are very good during
the period of education, you can also reduce it to only three jears.
After education you can work in a shop, you can open your own shop
(remember since 2004 no education is needed) or you can go on
learning - become a master (time for this from six month by two
jears), study design at university - a lot of options - don’t you
think so?

and if you are a guild member do you pay dues to the guild to
remain a member? 

Yes i do. What you can do also is stay out of the guilds. No
problem. No drawbacks. If you have a shop you must pay dues to the
chamber of handicrafts, due to health insurance and of course - like
everywhere - taxes.

Oh, this was a lot - sorry :slight_smile:
Mario

workshop, classes and educational scenarios that are more specific
and emblematic of the individual who is teaching. 

Andy’s statement is a pretty common point of view, I gather. Designs
are copyrighted, certain processes can be patented. Beyond that I
fear that the genie will be out of the bottle… one may wish that
the knowlege imparted will stay in the clique… Somebody can and
might write a book about it and retire. It might make people angry,
toes stepped on, all that, but once it’s done it’s just not under
your control what happens to it. Me, I just give it freely…

Andy,

I so agree with you. It seems there is a very fine line there, that
far too many are willing to cross with intent of personal financial
gain, and that is not OK. In a local case, it was not at all
innocent, yet the person saw nothing wrong in what they were doing,
and continues. The wounded one, still bleeds.

Hugs,
Terrie

Sharing techniques and ideas is rather different than sharing
designs. 

i find it interesting that the word “sell” was changed to the word
“sharing”! “sell” implies transfer of ownership by means of monetary
compensation example, payment for a workshop in jewelry making and
related techniques.

the word sharing implies goodwill and moral responsibility on the
part of the reciever of items or goods or concepts and

“SELL” - “SHARING” two completly different words. This swapping out
of words completly opposite to each other is a good example as to why
a institutions of higher learning that offer a person pursuant of a
jewelry education and jewelry degree should require the student to
become proficient in subjects other than jewelry.

best regards goo
Beechwoldcustomjewelry.com

i thought that at least someone could put into words a design
technique that they thought was unusual enough to speak of, i
understand that jeweler’s /goldsmith’s techniques at the bench are
better off shown, but in the original posting of this topic, i
really meant design techniques not bench techniques per say, i
should have titled it, design techniques actually, anyway then
this is one of mine, it is to cast multiples of silver models that
i carve from wax, some are 3d some flat, they are all very organic,
sinuous, lineal, abstract looking things, and are all planned to
be parts of specific jewelry pieces, but when i study them and then
choose 2 of the same, put them in my hand close it, then open, and
everytime i close my hand i move them a little in my palm, and
everytime i open it there is a configuration of the 2 pieces, or if
i put them down on a table, there is a configuration, which is how i
noticed this phenomenon to begin with, i would put a few pieces down
on a table, or move one into another by accident, and i would keep
seeing cool looking possibilities of designs whenever pieces sat next
to, or on top of each other, and this happens almost everytime, and
always when i least expected it, so i have to keep a sharp eye out,
each one of these arrays has turned out to be a great design, and
everytime different, and if i do it with 3 of the same, or add a
different 1 or 2, move them slightly as they mix with each other,
there is a beautiful design, can be more 2 dimensional, or 3
dimensional, with flat pieces i do it like puzzles, they lie next
to each other, or i try to build whatever by fitting the pieces
together however i like them,so in each one of these cases, if i
think it’s cool enough, i pick it up and put it on clay or pitch,
which keeps them in position to tack, if they are all polished and
i do this, then i tack them with solder, and they are a new design,
sometimes i solder a ring shank onto the new structure, some bails,
and become pendants, and i saw or grind off unnecessary parts, to
reduce weight, or whatever makes them cumbersome, then i cast the
pieces into new models> new designs, this playing with shapes has
made me so many amazing unusal pieces that it is hard to believe,
but it works, if you don’t believe me, try it you can make 50
pieces of far out jewelry from a few of the same model/ finding,
etc, and if not that, inspiration for many new ones, kind of
like the amount of license plates you can get from a series of
numbers, dave